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Sunday, December 27, 2015

TGBKA: Christmas 2015

Despite how "behind" I always feel, we seem to make the event lovely and memorable. Christmas Day was glorious! We started when we felt like it (read: the kids let the parents sleep in!!!), we ate cake for breakfast (it is Jesus' birthday you know), we sipped on coffee (because nothing of substance happens in our house until a cup is downed), and we opened our presents. Before we got started in the kitchen, we played some board games as a family. Then Sweet Baboo took The Elder to Walking District while The Wee and I got the place ready for guests. Here is the day in photos:

The Wee got the very hat she was eyeballing! Her sister distracted her while I made the purchase. It was a team effort!

Hand warmers are all the rage this year. At least, in our house they are!

Sweet Baboo got a little stool to sit on when he comes home and needs to take off his boots.

This was a big deal. In Korean homes, you do not enter until your shoes are removed. In our lease, we have agreed to not wear shoes that have been worn outside in the house. But when Sweet Baboo comes home, with his arms full of Army stuff, and boots laced up to his shins, the removal process has been tedious. We got him a stool to make the process a bit easier, and he was thrilled!

The big dilemma this year was Mal vs Evie.

When the Descendents movie came out earlier this year, The Elder and I were hooked. I'm so glad that I have an excuse for watching cheesy Disney movies; but if you've known me long enough you'll know that my love for Disney movies, television shows, soundtracks, theme parks, etc. runs deep. (When Sweet Baboo and I were dating, I had over 150 Disney soundtracks on cd... and those were filed next to their DVD or VHS movies in my room. It's amazing he found me "adult" enough to date!)

When Disney started merchandising the movie, The Elder was deep in her own quandary. The dolls were $25 each, and earning enough money to get just one doll would take her a month. Doubling down on that effort seemed to take an eternity to a 10 year old! I advised her to put the dolls on her Christmas list, and she wasn't getting that she could ask for both. Rather, every time we went to the Post Exchange (PX) she would stare at both dolls and say, "Mal or Evie? Evie or Mal? Which one should I ask for?" Sweet Baboo and I loved that she was absolutely tormented over this. She didn't feel like she could ask for both. And when she opened both dolls, her first words were "but that was a lot of money!" We chuckled and told her that we had saved our dollars to get them both for her. She was very thankful and loved the gifts.

I got the coolest gift by far! Who wouldn't want a Christmas Bunny hat/scarf/gloves combo?

And I rocked that crazy thing to the mail room the next day. It was most definitely appreciated!

The Wee got a Mickey Mouse Tool Set.

She immediately went to work around the apartment.

This is the year that The Elder wanted clothes and jewelry as much as she wanted toys. Our little girl is becoming a little lady.

She is so excited that she gets to wear dangly ear rings. And her daddy got her a pretty purple jewel inside of a white gold heart necklace.

Then, Sweet Baboo took The Elder to Walking District in search of the fleece lined pants that he was in deep desire of owning, but I was incapable of getting for him. To our surprise, Walking District was a-buzz of activity on Christmas Day! The Wee and I stayed behind to get food cooking.

I was treated to fairy dancing!

I almost burned down the apartment.

The Lounge was peaceful

We learned Life lessons (like pay the $100K for college so you can get paid more in the game).

For the record: I stomped the family at Life. My net worth at the end was $4.9 million. Sweet Baboo ended up with just under $4 million. Of course, we both paid the $100K for college at the beginning. The girls didn't spend the $100K, and ended up with just under $1 million and $1.2 million. Later that night, I played Life against some of the Soldiers. We all went to college in the game, and I still won. #winningatthegamecalledlife

We had a great crew over!

Some people were excited to come over when we gave them the invite. Others thought they wanted to stay in their barracks room and sulk... while drinking. We respected both decisions, but made sure the drinking sulkers knew they could come over if they changed their minds. We had some mind-changers, and I'm glad to have brightened the Christmas day for many geo-bachelors.

Wii-U was played by many

Silly hats were modeled. Just because.

And passed around to other models.

Soju was consumed, games were played, and laughter abounded.

I say this every year, but it's absolutely true: This was the BEST Christmas ever.

Welcome to my slice of Heaven!

I never thought I'd be living this life. As a teenager, I wanted to be single until the day I died, with no kids, and I wanted a career which took me all around this world. I got a tiny bite of that pie and loved how the taste of that lifestyle melted in my mouth. That is, until I met the man I now call my husband.

He made the lifestyle I desired in my youth seem like cotton candy: pretty, flavorful, but no substance. After the flavor melted in my mouth, all I was left with was a lingering desire for something more. Something that lasted longer than a moment in time, and produced more than just a sugar high.

I have married that man three times now (nope... no divorces either). He has blessed me with two squeezable little girls who frustrate me more than anything in the world, but who can also light up my life with a giggle that comes from their bellies.

We do travel around the world, though. We are a military family, and we're very proud of it. My girls have spent so much time in airports that they help other people in the security areas. We have logged more miles in our mini van than I'd like to admit, but we enjoy driving the great highways of this country.

I'm a wanna-be sewer, crafter, crochet-er, and gardner. Get me in the kitchen, and it's game on! I wouldn't describe myself as a gourmet chef, but I'll just say that I love me some food. The girls are learning their love for it as well, and when we get down to it the day always ends with full tummies, dirty dishes, and a laughing family. That's what life is supposed to be like, right?